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Mark Butcher
Portrait of Mark Butcher

Mark Alan Butcher

Born: 23 August 1972, Croydon, Surrey
Major Teams: Surrey, England.
Known As: Mark Butcher
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium


Test Debut: England v Australia at Birmingham, 1st Test, 1997
Latest Test:
England v Australia at Brisbane, 1st Test, 2002/03

Career Statistics:

TESTS
 (including 07/11/2002)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave     SR 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding   46   85   3  2745  173*  33.47  42.31   5  12   40   0

                      O      M     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling              96.2   21   320   10  32.00  4-42    0   0  57.8  3.32

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS

                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct St
Batting               0    -   -     -    -     -     -   -    -  -

                     Balls    M     R   W    Ave  Best  4w 5w    SR  Econ
Bowling                  0    -     -   -    -     -     -  -    -    -

FIRST-CLASS
 (1992 - 2002/03; last updated 11/11/2002)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  193  333  25 11947  259   38.78  22  67  181   0

                      O      M     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling            1201.3  255  3923  116  33.81  5-86    1   0  62.1  3.26

LIST A LIMITED OVERS
 (1991 - 2002)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  148  131  25  2948   91   27.81   0  17   47   0

                      O       R    W    Ave   BBI   4w  5w    SR  Econ
Bowling             419.1  2195   49  44.79  3-23    0   0  51.3  5.23

- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.


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With his pedigree, Mark Butcher was destined to be a cricketer. One uncle, Ian, represented Gloucestershire and Leicestershire while another uncle, Martin, played for Surrey. His father Alan had previously played for Surrey, Glamorgan and England, and with his brother following him into the game, cricket has been a part of Mark Butcher's life since his birth in August 1972.

A left-handed opening batsman and medium-paced bowler, Butcher won a place on the England Young Cricketers' tour to New Zealand in 1990-91. He made his debut for Surrey in 1991 playing against a Glamorgan team that included his father Alan in the Sunday League. It was the first time that a father and son had ever played against one another at first-class level. He then spent a couple of winters learning his trade in Australia, playing for South Melbourne in 1993-94 and North Perth in 1994-95, but the real breakthrough came in 1996.

Butcher enjoyed a 1996 domestic season described by Wisden as "prolific", hitting over 1,500 runs with three centuries, and won his county cap. Selected for the A team, Butcher enjoyed an excellent tour of Australia (1996-97) where Wisden praised him as being "outstanding." He looked "a class above anyone else" and finished with a batting average of over 50, impressing with his judgement, concentration and timing.

Butcher returned to England very much in the selectors' thoughts and made his Test debut in the First Test against Australia at Edgbaston in June 1997. He struggled in that game, as England won, and dropped three catches in the Australian first innings at Lord's as the tourists replied to England's paltry 77 all out. However, a defiant 87 in the second innings proved that he could live at the top level. Another half-century followed at Old Trafford as England were brushed aside, but by August he had been dropped as the selectors made sweeping changes in an attempt to compete with a strong Australian side.

Selected to tour the West Indies in 1997-98, Butcher didn't enjoy much luck, suffering a first ball duck on the notorious Sabina Park pitch in the first Test just before the game was abandoned due to an unfit wicket. In nine innings, batting in the middle order, he could not progress past 28 and averaged only 15, though he showed a cool temperament in guiding England to a nerve-wracking three-wicket win in the Third Test.

Beginning the subsequent home series as Atherton's opening partner with 77 against South Africa at Edgbaston, Butcher was then prevented by injury from playing in the next three Tests. He made 75 in the Fourth Test, and a vital, man-of-the-match winning maiden Test century, 116 (out of 230) at Leeds as England took the series was heralded as the breakthrough innings. Butcher lost form completely at the start of the Ashes tour of Australia, but retained his Test place and repaid the selectors' loyalty with a century in the opening Test at Brisbane. It was a bright spot on an otherwise hard tour for the Surrey man.

Butcher has formed a formidable opening partnership at county level with Ian Ward, and their contributions have been vital components in the dominant form of multiple championship winners Surrey. He impressed when standing in as captain of Surrey in 1999, leading them to five victories as they wrapped up another championship, and hitting a maiden double-century, 259, at Leicester. And even though he was the second youngest member of the side, he performed a similar role for England, with Nasser Hussain out injured in the Third Test at Old Trafford. However, he disappointed with the bat and was dropped for the next game upon Hussain's return, a chapter that left him chastened.

Butcher returned to the Test team for the debacle of the first Test against South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. He played in every game, but could only average 20 against a wonderful bowling attack and some technical flaws appeared in his batting. It took a while to earn a recall, suffering something of a hangover at the start of the 2000 season before regaining his form. Surrey had by now recruited his brother Gary, and his father had returned to The Oval as coach. But Mark was rumoured to have been close to leaving the club at the end of 2000, and he later admitted that he had been close to retirement. He worked hard with his father throughout the winter and played some sparkling innings at the start of 2001, though the big scores did not come.

Called up in an injury crisis as England began another Ashes series as underdogs, Butcher showed the old discipline and flair in scoring 38 and 41 against a fierce attack at Edgbaston, and though his run of Test innings without a half-century had now stretched to 25 innings, he was firmly back in the selectors' thoughts. Citing "bad memories" Butcher stated that he would not be interested in standing in for the injured Hussain as captain for the following Test. He also took a Test best 4-42 at Edgbaston, including a spell of 3-0 as Australia were finally dismissed for 576.

However, the best was yet to come for Butcher. He top-scored for England with 83 in the second Test, and in the fourth played the innings of his life - a magnificent, unbeaten 173 as England scored 315-4 on the last day to give the hosts their only victory of the series. Not surprisingly, he was named Man of the Match and later England's Man of the Series. Having started the summer barely in the selectors' minds, he ended it as being one of the first names on the list for the winter Test squad. Although he did not reach three figures in any of the six Tests in India and New Zealand, he made regular contributions, most notably in Ahmedabad (51 & 92) and Wellington (47 & 60). He excelled in the home series against Sri Lanka with two centuries and a 94 which exemplified a willingness to restrain his natural instinct for attack in the broader interests of the team. Keyhole surgery in a troublesome knee was followed by useful contributions against India, and by the end of the season he was being canvassed by no less an advocate than Mike Atherton as the eventual successor to Nasser Hussain as England captain.

An amiable and intelligent man, Butcher has gained plaudits for his musical ability. After the tragic death of Ben Hollioake in in a car accident in March 2002, Butcher played at the private memorial tribute to his Surrey team-mate, held by the England players in Auckland. The Mark Butcher Band, with star guests such as Bill Wyman and Steve Harley, has entertained audiences at several PCA award functions and points the direction for his career after cricket. (Copyright CricInfo October 2002)

* Last Updated: Monday, 11-Nov-2002 17:17:20 GMT


 
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